Automatic parking timer device



Jan. 2, 1951 J. D. HAYNIE 2,536,178

AUTOMATIC PARKING TIMER DEVICE Filed May 25, 1946 3 SheejS-Sheet 1 1 I w i g l l I m INSULATION +3 42 23 1-38 I I Io l I f Inventor J Jacf D. flayzzz'e,

J. D. HAYNIE AUTOMATIC PARKING TIMER DEVICE Jan. 2, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 25, 1946 Jan. 2, 1951 J. D. HAYNIE 2,536,178

AUTOMATIC PARKING TIMER DEVICE Filed May 25, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 WW 3M Inventor Patented Jan. 2, 1951 UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to an automatic parking timer device, and more especially to an electromechanically operated timing meter for motor vehicle parking.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character wherein motor vehicle parking time can be accurately checked either within a parking space or at the curb thereby obviating the necessity for an inspector to mark each car parked in order to verify the parking periods of such cars, as is now ordinarily done, the timing of the parking period being automatically effected.

Another object of: the invention is the provision of a device of this character, wherein a visible signal is flashed during predetermined time periods to signify the time checking operation of such device.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character, which is extremely simple in construction, thoroughly reliable and efficient in operation, strong, durable, neat in appearance, accurate in the working thereof for checking the time period of parking, automatic in its operation, and inexpensive to manufacture and install.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will hereinafter be more fully described in detail, i1- lustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose a preferred embodiment of the invention and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a horizontal cross sectional view through the device constructed in accordance with the invention as installed at a parking area, showing by full lines the operating treadle in one position, and by dotted lines such treadle in its normal position,

Figure 2 is a sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-5 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective View of a seat curbing showing the device applied thereto and in normal condition.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary enlarged plan view showing the indicator dial face of the device.

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view taken on the lin 6% of Figure 3 looking in the direction of, the arrows.

Figure 7 is a detail sectional view taken on 2 the line 'l'! of Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 8 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 88 of Figure 3 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the device constituting the present invention comprises a flat base-lik mounting plate H3, preferably of elongated formation or of rectangular shape having at one side edge thereof a downturned flange II for abutting the vertical portion of a curbing, a portion thereof being indicated at 2. This plate it with its flange l l is secured or anchored to the curbing l2 in any suitable manner preferably by fasteners I3 to be located in the position as best seen in Figure 4 of the drawings.

Removably fitted superimposed upon the plate I!) is a box-like housing or case unit M which encases a timer mechanism hereinafter fully described.

The timer mechanism of the device involves a spring wound clock mechanism l5 which is movably supported on a sliding carriage l6, having runners i! inter-fitting guides l8 fixed to the base plate Ii! in parallel spaced relation to each other. This carriage travels in a horizontal plane. The clock mechanism l5 has its vertical minute hand arbor l 9 fitted with a gear for selective release from and engagement with a driven gear wheel 2! turnable on a rotatable shaft 22 vertically supported in a frame 23 stationarily fixed upon the plate it. It will thus be seen that the continuously running clock mechanism gear 2i may be laterally shifted into and out of engagement with the gear ill to rotate the latter at selected periods. The shaft 22 above the wheel 2| has fixed thereto a time indicating hand 26 which is visible through a glass dial disk or clock panel 25 carried at a window opening in the top of the unit i i. The dial panel 25 concentric to its center is provided with exposed time digits or numerals 26 indicative of hour and one-half hour periods of time, rang ing numerically from zero to full three hour periods, and one-half hour divisions thereof, respectively, as denoted in Figure 5 of the drawings. The hand cooperates with these indicia 26 when actuated in a manner presently described. The ratio of gear 2! to gear 2% will be so chosen that the hand 24 will be caused to indicate a predetermined period of actuation by the clock mechanism [5. In the embodiment shown the ratio is 4 to 1, whereby the hand 24 will make one revolution on its dial in four hours.

On the flange ii of the base plate iii is arranged a vertically swingable operating treadle 2? which has hinged connections 23 with bearings on such flange. The treadle 2? is adapted for actuation by the wheel of a motor vehicle, not shown, when occupying a parking area at the curb E2 or within a parking zone, which is also not show When contact is made with the treadle the same is depressed inwardly with relation to the housing unit i i initiating and continuing the operation of the device until the treadle is released.

Pivoted to the treadle 2? is a plunger 29, which is slidable in a guide bracket 35 fixed within the unit it on the base iii, while on the carriage i6 is a throw stem 3i which is also slidable in a guide bracket 32 on the base plate it, and connecting the plunger and stem is a flexible cable 33 which is trained over guide pulleys 3-iappropriately placed. The plunger 2i, is acted upon by an expansion spring 35 of the coiled type, which urges the treadle outwardly away from the unit i l when freed of contacting object, such as a wheel of a vehicle, and this outward position of the treadle is the normal position thereof. The steam (ii is acted upon by a coil expansion spring 33 of less strength than and operating counter to the spring 35 so that when tension is relieved from the latter the spring 35 becomes active to move the carriage It in a direction to bring the gear 23 into mesh with the wheel 2! and through the working of the clock mechanism it the wheel M is turned for advancing the hand clockwise for registering in coordination with the disk or panel 25 the time periods of motor vehicle parking in accordance with the invention.

The power spring, not shown, of the clock mechanism 55 is effectively rewound by ratchet cog 3? in a coacting ratchet pawl or dog 38, the latter being stationary and secured in any suitable manner to the base id or frame 23, and functioning to operate the cog 37 when the carriage has retrograde movement for the rewinding of the clock spring and in this manner the clock is rewound each time the treadle is released, and is thereby maintained in a wound condition through the automatic, working of, the.

device.

In the top of the unit id is a signaling glass eye 3%, while beneath the latter within such unit id is an electric light bulb its fitting t] being arranged in an electric circuit [52, including an automatic flash circuit breaker 43, storage batteries 55 and a ground connection from the batteries to the frame 23 as at 39 and a resilient contact with the gear as by the finger 43; A segmental block, in this instance a quadrant of insulating material 2 is located upon the surface of gear 2i and is positioned to pass under the resilient control 5-3 to temporarily insulate the same from its conductive engagement with the gear 2! to thereby temporarily break the signal ing circuit. This insulating segment is so placed that the signaling circuit is broken for the first hour of vehicle parking, but thereafter the contact 68 engages gear 2i energizing the circuit. The circuit is completed through the contact 38, metal of gear 25, frame 23 and the ground iii to the batteries. As will be understood, the segment dd may be circumferentially adjusted upon the gear or varied in extent or replaced by other segments of predetermined contour to vary either the duration or time of the signaling and nonsignaling periods.

When the contact 48 is traveling from the block 4 or off of the same the circuit :2 is closed and the bulb id lighted and intermittently flashed for signaling purposes visible through the eye 3%.

The hand 2:; is automatically brought to a normal position at the zero mark on the dial or panel 25 after the gears 25 and 22 are disconnected or out of mesh with each other through the resetting spring 45 acting upon the shaft 22, the spring d5 being effective for counterclockwise movement of the hand.

Opposite hand 24, gear 2i is provided with a pivoted yielding finger 45 which during closure rotation of the gear 22 and pointer 2d, flexes and passes under the fixed stop 5! carried by bracket 52 suitably secured to frame It as shown by dotted lines in Figure 6. When the slide 5 6 is moved to disengage driving gear 2i? from gear 25, the spring 45 rotates gear 2i and pointer 2 in a counter-clockwisedirection, until the finger 46 engages the stop 5i as shown by full lines in Figure 6. This stops rotation of the gear, leaving the pointer positioned at the 0 index on the scale, ready for the next cycle of operation, initiated by the actuation of bar 2'? and the engagement of gear 2i] with gear 2 i.

The batteries d5 are retained in holding clips til, which together with other parts of the device are concealed within the cover It, excepting the treadle 2? and its adjuncts, as will be best seen in Figure 4 of the drawings The device in the working thereof not only indicates the time period of parking but also fiashes a signal visible after the first hour period of parking time when a motor vehicle has made contact and depressed the treadle 27: at the curb 52 within a parking area thereof.

The purpose of the device is to automatically check accurately the time a motor vehicle parks at a parking area.

At the time the vehicle is parked it is automatically checked within a determined range of time when it is parked. This saves an inspector or policeman from checking each car or vehicle by marking the wheel with chalk as is presently done.

The device is not a revenue acquiring medum as it is not controlled or operated by the deposit of a coin therein similar to the present-day parking meters.

What I claim is:

1. A device of the kind described, comprising a windowed housing for fixed location within a parking area for a motor vehicle, a spring powered movable clock mechanism within said housing, a time indicating mechanism mounted within th housing and positioned for visual observation in said window, means slidably connecting the clock mechanism and time indicating mechanism together when the clock mechanism has moved to one position, a treadle pivoted to said housing, a plunger device connecting said treadle and said clock mechanism, spring means engaging said plunger for constantly urging said treadle to a normal position with said spring in its normally expanded position, said device including means for disconnecting the slidable means when the treadle is moved to said normal position, means for resetting the time indicating mechanism when disconnected from the clock mechanism, and means for restoring power to the clock mechanism when freed of the time indicating l6 mechanism.

2. A device of the kind described, comprising a windowed housing for fixed location within a parking area for a motor vehicle, a spring powered movable clock mechanism within said housing, a time indicating mechanism mounted within the housing and positioned for visual observation in said window, means slidably connecting the clock mechanism and time indicating mechanism together when the clock mechanism has moved to one position, a treadle pivoted to said housing, a plunger device connecting said treadle and said clock mechanism, spring means engaging said plunger for constantly urging said treadle to a normal position with said spring in its normally expanded position, said device including means for disconnecting the slidable means when the treadle is moved to said normal position, means for resetting the time indicating mechanism when disconnected from the clock mechanism, and means for restoring power to the clock mechanism when freed of the time indicating mechanism, said disconnecting means consisting of a spring mounted on a throw stem secured to said slidable means, the spring on said stem urging said slidable means into clock actuating position and said plunger device including a cable connecting said plunger and throw stem so that movement of one moves the other.

JACK D. HAYNIE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,021,777 Hatot Nov. 19, 1935 2,072,609 Taliaferro Mar. 2, 1937 2,121,179 Sweetland June 21, 1938 2,229,183 Mitchell Jan. 21, 1941 2,289,838 Herschede et al. July 14, 1942 

